So, let’s say a few words about the Church in the context of this issue (examining the essence of hierarchical presbyter-bishop ministry in the Church).
The Church of Christ is the Eucharist (the Body of Christ), it is the Fullness of the Holy Spirit, it is the Kingdom of God (for details, see Part II)! Only Christians belong to the Church of Christ (members of the Body of Christ – members of a specific Parish-Eucharist, partakers of the Eucharist-parish, organic members of which they (Christians) are – for details, see Part II), that is, anointed by the Holy Spirit! In one of the fragments of the verbal Gospel Icon of the Kingdom of God – the Gospel according to the testimony of the Apostle John the Theologian – we read a reference to the necessary condition for entering the Church, the Kingdom of God. In the third chapter, the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims to Nicodemus the mystery of Christianity: “Unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus’s reaction to this Gospel is one of complete misunderstanding. Continuing His word, the Lord says: Only the one born of the Spirit is spirit (Person, Hypostasis in the Orthodox understanding of this word – see Part I) and only such a person, that is, spiritual, can be in the Kingdom of God (a partaker of the Eucharist – the Triune Hypostatic Life of the Holy Trinity). “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Wishing to remind His astonished guest (a teacher of Israel!) of something familiar to him (as a teacher, he should have been familiar with it!), Christ said: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” And anticipating that the teacher of Israel understands what is being discussed, the Lord added: “So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” However, Nicodemus continues to be in complete ignorance. Then the Lord, reproaching him, said: “You are a teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things?” And after these words, a stern reproof was directed at the then-teacher of Israel: “Truly, truly, I say to you: We (Christ and His followers – Christians-Spirit-bearers – V.A.) speak of what we know, and testify to what we have seen, but you (not just you, but all teachers not enlightened by the Holy Spirit, who teach from their own mind, scholastically filled with information “about…”, and not from the fullness of the knowledge of the Kingdom of God (Eucharist) by the Holy Spirit, which is contained only in a humble and contrite heart… – V.A.) do not accept our testimony.” What did Nicodemus not know and understand, and in his person, the contemporary Jewish (Old Testament, that is, not Christian, which will be in the second phase until the end of this age) clerical teaching? The teacher of faith must hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, be guided, instructed by Him. Whoever has the Spirit would immediately understand the mysterious words of the Lord. Both Patriarch Abraham and the prophets and King David – all knew what the voice of the Holy Spirit was, and of course, they would not have been surprised at what the Lord said and would not have asked: how can this be? They clearly distinguished the voice of the Spirit.
For example: “And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘Arise, go down to meet Ahab… and say to him…’” (the prophet did everything that the Lord commanded – V.A.) (3 Kings 21:17-29). “And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh…’” (Jonah 3:1-2). Or in Acts 9:10-17: The Lord said to Ananias in a vision: “Ananias.” He replied, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him: “Arise and go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul.” Ananias answered: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem, and he has come here with authority to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said: “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name before the Gentiles.” And Ananias did the will of God. All the patriarchs, prophets, and judges of Israel reported to the people what the voice of God told them. By the time of Christ’s coming, this ability and capacity to distinguish the voice of the Spirit of God, essential for teachers of faith, had been forgotten (and even now professors of “theology,” entire “theological” academies, church elders (bishops, presbyters), who take it upon themselves to teach the people faith, do not know this ability and, what is worse, do not feel the need for it!?). Having lost the grace of the Holy Spirit (as far as it was possible in the Old Testament conditions, before Pentecost; as sung in the troparion of the Transfiguration: the Lord showed His disciples His glory, as much as they could bear in Old Testament conditions), they did not recognize Christ (and to this day scholastic theologians do not recognize Him and seek to kill the Truth, Christ, Christians), about whom all the prophets prophesied, and they did not want to accept Him (and now Freedom, Love, Truth – are not accepted by “Christians,” baptized with water, but not with the Holy Spirit).